The Science Channel will not be airing a three-hour ‘Punkin Chunkin’ special after a pumpkin cannon exploded and injured two people.
At the 2016 ‘Punkin Chunkin,’ an event where competitors hurl pumpkins with a trebuchet-like device, a video producer for the network was critically injured after a canon named the “Pumpkin Reaper” exploded and sent a large piece of metal at the woman’s head. She was initially reported dead by police but later was revealed to be in critical condition.
“In light of the unfortunate incident at the Punkin Chunkin event on Nov. 6, Science Channel will not air ‘Punkin Chunkin’ as originally planned,” said a channel spokesperson in a statement. “We are sending our hopes and prayers for a full recovery to the injured woman, her family and loved ones.”
Another 56-year-old man was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
While the pumpkin toss even might seem like a cool, creative way to throw some squash plant’s around, the dangers of it aren’t worth the risk. The event had been canceled in consecutive years after the organizers couldn’t find insurers to cover the dangerous event. This latest incident hopefully spells an end to the contest. Putting people at risk isn’t worth seeing a pumpkin get slingshotted.
[Image via USA Today] [Gizmodo]
